Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi Claims Second Cairns Cup Crown

August 20 2026

News Press

SAINT LOUIS, Aug. 20, 2026 – Grandmaster (GM) and former World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China has captured her second Cairns Cup title, once again proving her strength among the world’s best female players. Tan emerged victorious at one of the world’s strongest women’s super-tournaments, which features one of the largest prize funds in women’s chess, taking home $65,000 for her impressive performance.

“Winning the Cairns Cup for the second time is very special to me, and I’m proud to be the only player to have achieved that,” said GM Tan Zhongyi. “I believe success is about more than what happens over the board. Having a supportive network of friends and a strong team around me makes a big difference. I’m especially grateful to my second, GM Jeffery Xiong, who I spent time with in Dallas preparing for this tournament. I was also able to fully adjust to the time zone in advance, which I felt was very beneficial to my performance. I’m very happy to have won the tournament and grateful to everyone who supported me along the way.”

International Master (IM) Alice Lee of the United States finished in second place, earning $50,000 and picking up her first Grandmaster Norm. GM Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan and IM Carissa Yip of the United States tied for third, each earning $35,000.

“Congratulations to Tan Zhongyi on a commanding performance and a well-deserved second Cairns Cup title,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Tan demonstrated tremendous skill, determination and consistency throughout the tournament, and it was a pleasure to watch her compete at such a high level. We are thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement with her and all of the players who made this year’s Cairns Cup such an exciting event.”

The 2026 Cairns Cup final standings include:

PLACE	NAME	FEDERATION	PRIZE MONEY
1	GM Tan Zhongyi	China	$65,000
2	IM Alice Lee	United States	$50,000
T-3	GM Bibisara Assaubayeva	Kazakhstan	$35,000
T-3	IM Carissa Yip	United States	$35,000
T-5	GM Anna Muzychuk	Ukraine	$13,667
T-5	GM Divya Deshmukh	India	$13,667
T-5	IM Stavroula Tsolakidou	Greece	$13,667
8	GM Humpy Koneru	India	$9,000
9	GM Alexandra Kosteniuk	Switzerland	$8,000
10	GM Vaishali Rameshbabu	India	$7,000

Established in 2019, the Cairns Cup was created by the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide a competitive tournament for elite female players. Aptly named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield’s maiden name, the 2026 Cairns Cup featured a ten player field of top women from across the world competing for a $250,000 purse during the round robin style tournament held at the Saint Louis Chess Club from Aug. 10-19.

To rewatch all of the action from the tournament broadcast visit the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube channel.

Next up: Catch the dramatic conclusion of the 2026 GCT Finals, set for Aug. 22-27, 2026 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. GMs Praggnanandhaa R., Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana and Vincent Keymer will battle for a $450,000 prize fund in an intense knockout competition featuring two Classical games, two Rapid games and four Blitz games. With the 2026 GCT title on the line, only one player will emerge as champion.

For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.

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About the Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.